LONDON (AP) - The moon will turn shades of amber and crimson Saturday night as it passes behind the Earth's shadow in the first total lunar eclipse in three years.

The eclipse will be at least partly visible from Asia to the Americas, although those in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will have the best view.

Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun's light. The event is rare because the moon spends most of its time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit.

Although it will pass completely under Earth's shadow, light from the sun will still reach the moon after being refracted through Earth's atmosphere, giving the moon an eerie dark reddish tinge.

"It's not an event that has any scientific value, but it's something everybody can enjoy," said Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Earth's shadow will begin moving across the moon at 3:18 p.m. EST Saturday, with the total eclipse occurring at 5:44 p.m. EST and lasting more than an hour.

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

Did you see the next picture- Gravity's Lens? It is the situation that Einstein used to prove that light has mass ansd can be affected by gravity, actually bending light to see what's behind a galaxy.

Thanks for these images. Notice the light, although the moon is completely obscured by the earth. The lighthouse and total imagery is indeed mystic and serene.

Quote:

Sunlight, bent by Earth’s atmosphere, leaks into the umbra and bathes the moon in a faint glow. Because blue light is scattered more easily than red light, it is red light that penetrates through Earth’s atmosphere to illuminate the moon in a coppery glow. If you were on the moon during totality and looked back at Earth, you would not see any part of the sun because it would be entirely hidden behind Earth. However, you would see Earth’s atmosphere illuminated from behind by the sun in a spectacular sunset completely ringing Earth. It is the red glow from this sunset that gives the totally eclipsed moon its reddish color.

This type of thing was terror to our ancient ancestors and probably contributed greatly to the foundings of superstitious religious thought. Such an important event in our development, yet it's amazing how a little science can ban superstition so easily.

_________________Completely sane world
madness the only freedom

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This type of thing was terror to our ancient ancestors and probably contributed greatly to the foundings of superstitious religious thought. Such an important event in our development, yet it's amazing how a little science can ban superstition so easily.

You are right DO.g's. That is why science is being replaced in schools with those superstitions. Heaven forbid our children actually think critically.